By Steve Baxi — By Steve Baxi — Doomed romances never go out of style. Love, the obstacles surrounding it, the triumph of finding, and the heartbreak of losing it are always end-of-the-world level stakes, especially in the hands of creatives that understand how intense these emotions are under even the best of circumstances. Add to that mix a complicated family life and the societal stigmas around who we choose to love, and you get a concept that is not only emotionally rich, but all too relatable. 

Rain is a stellar first issue in a series ripe with potential. From page one, we’re made keenly aware of the tragic twist to come but that doesn’t stop the moment from hitting like a freight train. The narrations provided by our protagonist, Honeysuckle, create a perfect mix of sugary sweet and bitterly anxious as we progress through the last normal day this girl will likely ever have. Joe Hill and David Booher are precise and efficient with their prose, but the star of the show is unequivocally Zoe Thorogood’s art, brought to vibrant life by Chris O’Halloran’s colors.

This opening doesn’t stray far from the path of most young adult, post-apocalypse fiction. We spend a majority of our time learning about the various characters in the mix that survive our inciting incident, their relationship to the ones who perished, and what their one unique tick is that makes them stand out in the crowd. For example, Templton Blake, who is affectionately referred to as “Little Dracula” due to his inability to go out in the sun, and for his childish glee at using his condition as an opportunity to dress like a vampire. While other stories have a “get to where you're going” quality as the band assembes, Rain does an excellent job of grounding each character we meet not simply by their physical qualities but by how they relate to the lead romance and thus turn mere setup into an opportunity for emotional engagement. Blake, along with his mother and the Russian woman who lives next door all paint a picture of a unique community that allows their differences to be on full display because their neighbors are equally open, vulnerable and honest about who they are.

What makes this story work for me is Thorogood’s ability to render each character as painstakingly human, unique in body and mind with a history so clearly told by their eyes and smile. The line work is meticulous, down to the freckles on Honeysuckle’s face and the hair on Mr. Waldman’s forearms. Every panel focuses on very specific physical qualities, the things that make each character stand out but also the things they work hard to cultivate as their personality. The message of this community is “honest self-expression” and thus each of them are drawn like all of their cards are on the table, like they want you to know they’ve lived a whole life before arriving here for us to meet. 

The composition of panels is often very straight forward. Occasionally we’ll see a unique angle, but more often than not each image will focus either on a singular character or a specific action without worrying too much about the surrounding context. When we zoom in on our Little Dracula, the world behind him disappears. When Martina takes off her sunglasses to flirt with Yolanda, the entire panel points us toward her eyes. In that way, we are made to appreciate the detail in Thorogood’s art but also the intense and clear emotions at play. The narrations guide us toward certain doom, but in every panel we can’t help but fall more and more in love. When tragedy strikes, it's not simply that we’ve grown to appreciate these character’s unique qualities, we also feel robbed of ever getting to know them, and that to me hurts all the more because of how the art tells their story.

Rain feels like a world I want to live in, and so this being a mini series is an interesting exercise in how much story can be pack into 5 issues. It's a challenge Hill and Booher seem completely adept at handling. The opening act presented here does a great job at building confidence in the team. I was already looking forward to this series, but now I feel hooked in a way I didn’t expect.

Overall: The story here is smart, efficient, and deeply human. The art is a masterclass in how to make characters feel truly alive. Thus far, all signs point to a high quality and engaging miniseries. 9/10

REVIEW: Joe Hill’s Rain #1

Joe Hill’s Rain #1
Story By: Joe Hill
Adaptation By: David M. Booher
Art By: Zoe Thorogood
Colors By: Chris O’Halloran
Letters By: Shawn Lee
Publisher: Image Comics
MINISERIES PREMIERE
THE FIRST IN CHRIS RYALL & ASHLEY WOOD'S NEW SYZYGY PUBLISHING IMPRINT LINE OF TITLES AT IMAGE COMICS!
On a seemingly normal August day in Boulder, Colorado, the skies are clear, and Honeysuckle Speck couldn't be happier. She's finally moving in with her girlfriend Yolanda. But their world is literally torn apart when dark clouds roll in and release a downpour of nails-splinters of bright crystal that shred the skin of anyone not safely under cover. RAIN makes vivid this escalating apocalyptic event, as the deluge of nails spreads across the country and around the world, threatening everything young lovers Honeysuckle and Yolanda hold dear.
Price: $3.99
Read the First Issue: Joe Hill’s Rain #1

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Steve Baxi has a Masters in Ethics and Applied Philosophy, with focuses in 20th Century Aesthetics and Politics. Steve creates video essays and operates a subscription based blog where he writes on pop culture through a philosophy lens. He tweets through @SteveSBaxi.